Signal device



Jan. 1, 1924 A. G. Rr-:MHxLT SIGNAL DEVICE Filed July 18. 1921 Patented Jan. l, 1924.

1,479,319 Frio E.'r

ARTHUR GARFIELD REMHILT, oF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SIGNAL DEVICE.

Application led July 18,1921. Serial No. 485,591. Y

To yall whom t may' concern.'

Be it known that I, ARTHUR GARFIELD REMHILT, a citizen of the' UnitedStates, residing at Philadelphia, in the lcounty of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania,

have invented certain new anduseful In,

provements inSignal Devices, of which the following is aspecification. y: One object of my invention is toprovide a signal device of exceptionally simple construction which can be usedwith advantage on automobiles or other'vehicles for the purpose of clearly indicating the intentions of the driver,` of the vehicle upon which thedevice is mounted, toturn to the right or to the left, to stop, or .any other signal which it is desired to give. l

Another object is to so make vthe device of my invention that it will vbe neat-in appearanceand light invs'feight.`

These objects, and other advantageous ends which will be described hereinafter, I attain'4 in the following manner, referencev being had Vto the accompanying drawings 4in which Y F igurel vis a front 'elevation showing my Adevice .illustrating the. vehicle g said improved signal same connected to a part of af part being illustrated in section, .1 f.

Figure 2 is an enlargedv sectional view taken on the line22 of Figure '1,

Figure 3 'is a sectional'view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure'2 and showing the same on a slightlyy reduced scalef Figure 4 s a faceview of 'a disk which rforms a part of ymy invention, Figure 5 is a faceview cfa portion of said device illustrating the same as it acstu'd pin 17. lThis std -lFigure 6l is a fragmentaryl sectionshow-,-

tually appears when displaying asignal, and

ing a 'slight''modificationV in the manner of securing Athe parts of the .-case "ltogethen -Referring to the drawings, `7 represents a case which is'circular in form andincludes two circular plates or disksl 8 and 9 :which are preferably made out of thin sheet metal having their peripheral edge portions vbent inwardly to provide contacting flanges 10 which may be soldered or spot-welded .in the form as shown in Figures 1 tol5 inclusive. Or as shown in Figure 6,-these flanges may be overlapped so as to snugly fit o'ne within the other. The circular plates 8 and 9 are' placed inaxial valignment andare `.closely positioneddso. as to. prv'idea'comparatively tioned va disk '12. This disk 12 may bemade l.. in? Figure 4 narrowspace 11 in whichisposiof metal,`sheetv liber or any other. Vvsuitable 'material and .has its opposite faces arranged with a dark sectoral portionl13 and awhite or light colored'sectoral portion 14as shown the opposite? faces of l the disk being-the same. In making'thisdisk I can -paint thel portionf13 black or'any-s'uitable dark colorxand the portion 14 canbe madewhite. VThe-outerfsurfaces of both of the plates 8 andy 9 .are made dark such for example as by painting them black orfa dark color. Each of these plates 8 and 9 is also perforated 'to provide any` suitable 'signal representation such for f example as the .arrows v15 and 16 andthe 4word Stop The surface portions Y14 on'the opposite faces vof the disk- 12 ismade small-compared to the :dark vportions 13.; the relative proportions between the portions 13 and 14 being such that theY Vportions 13:,can.' extend entirely-Jto the. reary of the arrowsl, 16 'and theV word Sto-p?:as is shown in 'Figurel However, .the areagand shape ,of the .portions v14 of the'. disk arev such thatifthe disk is rotated relatively to the case 7 ,'said portions V'14 are capable of: forminga backing visible through.v any. of the arrows 15 or` 16 or through the word Stopythus permitting the perforated arrows or theword Stopto appearV distinctly. visibleas is noted by the showing in Figure 5. Y

-The disk 12 is rotatably supported within the case on a stud pin 17 whichriextendsrz. through the platev 8, the plate9 Ahavingfa 'screw 18 extending therethrough. anden- -gaging a tapped hole in the inner end of the pin y'extends freely through a hole 19A in the disk and 'thlisthe-` disk' has a rotatable bearing on .the-stud pin. 17. A small gea-rwheel 20 issec'ure'dfto Y z the'disk 12 and yhas a :hole through which thev stud pin 17 extends. Thisgearwwheel 20 meshes with another gear wheel- 21 asf shown in Figures 2 and''; they gear wheel21 being rotatably'supportedon a study screw 22 which passesithroughthe 'plate'9i The plate 9 is preferably; provided withja recess pressing the material of the `plate. 9 Sofas tomake an'v engagement' capable of Yaccommodating the gears 20 andz21 and also serving as a means for receiving a hanger bearing 24 which supports a toothed raeki'` v23 whichl cannbef. formed by stamping or\..-,105

which operatively connects with the gear wheel21. lThe rack 25 has a portion 26 which extendsl out of the case and I have shown the case supported by a bracket 27 which ingysecujed'toa part of the vehicle such for example as the part 28. In the vform. illustrated the bracket 27 has a sleeve portion 29 through which the part- 26` of the rack 25 slides and upon this portion 29 is secured a depending member 30 having a notched ysegment 31 on its lower end. A lever 32 is .pivoted at .33 between its ends to the member 30; said lever having a slot sthrough which a pin 35 on the rack.portion 26 eX- tends. The lower end of the lever 32 has a spring=pressedplunger 86 adapted to engage any one of the notches 37 in the segment' 31 and thereby hold the lever 32 in'any position into which itk is moved. It is obvious that when the rack 25 is moved lengthwise it will rotate the disk through the medium of the gear wheels 21 and 20; the direction of the rotation ofthe disk depending upon the direction in which the rack is moved.

The arrangement and proportion ofthe par-ts is such, as illustrated that the white portionsof the disk can be moved from the position shown in Figure 1 into registry iwith the apertures 15er 16 or into re istry with the apertures forming the word top. Thus considering that Vthe outer surfaces of the-platesS and 9 of the casev 7 are'made black or a dark color, when the portionslll rare moved into vregistry with any of the above mentioned apertures, said apertures will be distinctly visible Aowing. to the fact that a white'or light colored surface is visible therethrough.; Further considering that bothl sides ofthe device are alike, signals of light character will be displayed both from the front'and theV rear of the device.

If desired the portions 14'can`be'painted with'a luminous l,paint Vsuch for example as av radium "luminous paint and Yas such will be 'distinctly Vnoticeable at nightor the'outer faces vofthe 'case can be illuminated by small lamps (not illustrated). so that the signals will be visible at'night as well as during the day. It will be noted Ythat the *portion 1.4 on each side of the disk is of suf- `ficient area-to coverk only one of the apertures ata time so that there is no possibility of any confusion of signals Awhen the device is operated and the arrai'igement of the notches 37 serves as vmeans for determining theV proper location of the lportionlli of 'the disk and the stopping ofthe rotatable -movement of thedisk.

'It will be noted, broadly speaking, that the portions 14 of the disk are of a contrasting character to the eye compared with theA character ofthe outer* surfaces of the plates Sand 9 and the portions 13 of the be ofany suitabley type capable of bef may be changed without departing from the v spirit thereof, and hence I do not limit myself to the precise construction set forth, butconsider that I am at liberty to make Vsuch changes and alterations as fairly come within thescope of the appended claims.y

Having thus described my invention,

what I claim as new and desire' to secure by Letters Patent is :--y Y l. A device of-thecharacter described'including a caseA having .perforations inrits v fron-t. and rear indicatingivisible signal '.por-k tions; and a member movable `within said casehaving on its opposite partsportions of reflective and comparatively nonerefiect-ive character, said member being optionally movable into registry with saidperforations of the front and rear ofthe case topexpose any oneof said signal perforations with said reiectiveportion; substantially as described.

2. A case Ahaving arrowshaped perforations therein pointing toward the right and toward the left and a perforation for Ja stop signal; and a member movably mounted within said case Yand having a larger dark portion-to cover ally of said signal'p'erforations and a small light portion to set across either signal to render-'such signal effective; substantially as described. n 3. A device of he character ldescribed cluding a case having perforations in its front and rear indicating visible-signal'poritions;and a disk rotatably mounted within saidV case'and having its opposite surfaces in planes approximately parallely with'and adjacent to the inner surfaces of the :front 4c. A device ofthe characterzdescribedin- 'cluding a case having perforationstherein indicating vvisible signal portions Aa member movable within ther case having portions'of 'reiective and comparatively Y nonerefle'ctive character and optionally movable'intofregistry with said perforations; means Yfor-'ef-` fecting lrotation of said member and'm'eans whereby said llast Vnamed means canv beheld Vin any position into which it is' movedysub-i stantially as described;

5. A signal device including a `case of opaque material havingv open transparent portionsr'epresenting signals, anda member movable within 'the casel and having dark vand light portions, the `dark portion being designed to cover all of vsaid signal repre-l sentations simultaneously and to uncover the same independently whereby the; signal 4represeritations maybe independently'viewed at the light portion disposed in registry with any of the uncovered signal representations. Y

6. A signal device of the character described including a circular case having opposed plates of opaque material provided with perforations indicating visual signal portion; a disk rotatable in said case and having a large sectoral portion of comparatively non-reective character adapted to cover all of said signal portions simultane' ously, and a small sectoral portion of relective character adapted to independentlyr' disclose to view each of said signal p0rtions While the other portions.A are covered y kthe larger nonreective portiono the 1s In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this lspecication in the presence of two subscribin Witnesses.

ARTHUR G RFIELD REMHILT. l Witnesses: I

FRANK P. REGAN,

GEO. H. HANmNs. 

